11 NY Innovators Selected for Prestigious Global Summit

Photos: Laura Belinfante (1), Shani Ben-Or (2), Alexandra Dakich (3), Roi Fleisman (4), Rachael Fried (5), Revital Iyov (6), Adina Lichtman (7), and Patrycja Slawuta (8), Isaiah Rothnstein (9), Elana Santo (10), and Tamara Tweel (11) (Courtesy).

NEW YORK — New York City natives Laura Belinfante, Shani Ben-Or, Alexandra Dakich, Roi Fleisman, Rachael Fried, Revital Iyov, Adina Lichtman, and Patrycja Slawuta, as well as Brooklyn natives Isaiah Rothnstein, Elana Santo, and Tamara Tweel were selected to join over 150 of the Jewish world’s leading young innovators from 29 countries who will convene in Jerusalem, June 24-28, to connect with other change makers, gain new skills, and find renewed inspiration at the 2018 ROI Summit. The summit is the flagship program of ROI Community, an initiative of the Charles and Lynn Schusterman Family Foundation.

Belinfante is director of digital campaigns for Repair the World, focusing on ways to grow and scale Repair the World’s audience and community online. To learn more about Belinfante, click here. Ben-Or is a rabbinical and cantorial student at Hebrew Union College, and a student cantor at Central Synagogue. To learn more about Ben-Or, click here. Dakich is plotical director for New York State Assemblyman and Democratic National Committee Vice Chair Michael Blake. To learn more about Dakich, click here. Fleisman is chief of staff for the Permanent Mission of Israel to the United Nations. To learn more about Fleisman, click here. Fried is assistant director for Jewish Queer Youth, and a maker and designer of systems, objects and spaces for TheFriedBrain Designs. To learn more about Fried, click here. Iyov is a storyteller, currently studying documentary filmmaking at the New York Film Academy. She aims to use her thesis film to give voice to the thoughts and words of wisdom of the spiritual leaders of Ethiopian Jews. To learn more about Iyov, click here. Lichtman is the CEO and founder of Knock Knock Give a Sock, a nonprofit that collects socks for the homeless while also building relationships between neighbors. To learn more about Lichtman, click here.Slawuta is the founder of SelHackathon, a Fortune 500 enterprise that helps professionals design research, create inventions, and craft campaigns concerning the human mind. To learn more about Slawuta, click here.

Rothstein is the rabbi-in-residence at Hazon and Be’chol Lashon, and is the founder of the Union Street Sanctuary, an open space for individuals to explore their unique voices, ancestral heritage, and diverse wisdom. To learn more about Rothstein, click here. Santo is executive director for Footsteps, which supports and affirms individuals and families who chose to leave the ultra-Orthodox communities. To learn more about Santo, clickhere. Tweel is director of strategic development for Hillel International’s Office of Innovation, as well as a professor at Columbia University. To learn more about Tweel, click here.

This year’s ROI Summit participants bring a diverse set of interests and achievements, ranging from boosting political involvement; to promoting acceptance of LGBTQ+ individuals in the Jewish community; to leveraging 'maker' technology to create solutions for people with disabilities; and much more. These innovators share a commitment to building a more vibrant, inviting and inclusive Jewish future for the benefit of the Jewish community and the broader world. For a full list of this year’s participants, please visit this page.

The 2018 participants hail from: Argentina, Australia, Austria, Belgium, Bolivia, Brazil, Bulgaria, Canada, Chile, Germany, Ghana, Greece, Guatemala, Hungary, Israel, Italy, Mexico, Panama, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Serbia, South Africa, Spain, Switzerland, Turkey, Ukraine, the United Kingdom and the United States.

Inspired by Israel’s 70th anniversary and its accomplishments over seven decades, the summit will focus on the theme of independence and the interplay between dependence, independence and interdependence.

“The 70th anniversary of the state of Israel provides a theme and framework for the journey we hope our participants will undergo during the summit, both as individuals and as a community,” said No’a Gorlin, associate executive director of ROI Community. “By bringing greater awareness to, and understanding of, our relationships with others, we aim for these leaders to walk away with a heightened sense of intention, belonging and responsibility as they continue pursuing social change in the Jewish community and around the world.”

For more details on this year’s ROI Summit, visit this page.